BOE RATE SETTER: UK CONTRACTION EXAGGERATED BY STATISTICAL ANOMALIES

— MPC Member Broadbent suggests inflation has fallen by less than feared By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – The UK economic contraction may have been exaggerated by the statistical measurement of public services, according to a Bank of England official, who also downplayed sustained below-target inflation in Britain.  “Part of the drop in GDP reflects an […]

ITALY GOVT FACES RISK OF COLLAPSE, SHOWDOWN FOR PM CONTE OVER EU AID – SOURCES

By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Italy faces the risk of a government crisis right in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic as the minor Italia Viva party threatens to pull out of the ruling coalition if a new ruling pact isn’t reached.  A meeting scheduled on Tuesday between coalition parties will be showdown time […]

STATUS CHECK COMMENTARY: TRUMP HOPES FOR A REBOUND, FACES ANOTHER IMPEACHMENT

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Friday night’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. ·        The bastions of freedom are firmly in place, holding back the forces of Trump, at least temporarily. That’s right, Twitter, Facebook, Google, even Spotify have moved to keep the president off […]

DATA PREVIEW: RETAIL SALES AND INFLATION MEASURES

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Economic data in the week ahead includes the December retail sales report, along with the two major inflation measures, the CPI just a week from Inauguration Day and the PPI but market participants are unlikely to pay much attention. The major stock indexes were propelled back into record territory Friday, in part […]

STATUS CHECK COMMENTARY: THE POST-SIEGE SCRAMBLE

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Thursday night’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. ·        The White House scrambled Thursday to soften the accurate perceptions of President Trump’s actions that precipitated the physical attack on Congress as various threats to his remaining few days in office […]

ITALY TO SEEK MORE FLEXIBILITY OVER NEW EU RULES ON NPL’S – COALITION SOURCES

By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Italy wants greater flexibility over new tighter European-wide credit rules that could further worsen liquidity, according to ruling coalition sources.  The new framework, that came into force on January 1, introduces stricter parameters for the ‘default’ classification on non-performing loans and so-called ‘calendar provisioning’ for write-offs, combining a 90-day […]

EURO-AREA ECONOMIC SENTIMENT PICKS UP IN DECEMBER

—Germany Sees Sentiment Stagnate By Marco Babic ZURICH (MaceNews) – Economic sentiment in the Euro-area was a positive note, rising in December from the previous month driven by “markedly higher” industrial and consumer confidence, the European Commission said in its latest Business and Consumer Survey report. Economic sentiment picked up 2.7 points in December to […]

STATUS CHECK COMMENTARY: WHAT NOW?

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Wednesday night’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes: The images from the Capitol Wednesday have been burned into the national consciousness where they will remain, to be engraved in the history books, a “dark moment” said President Elect Joe Biden. […]